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Actress Glenn Close to be honoured at spring convocation

Celebrated American actress Glenn Close will be among those receiving honorary degrees as part of the June convocation ceremonies. The spring ceremonies will also honour renowned climate scientist Raymond Stuart Bradley, pioneering nurse Sally Elizabeth Thorne, and Chief Justice Warren Winkler, among others.

Glenn Close

Actress Glenn Close’s versatile vocal, theatrical and screen portrayals have earned her Grammy, Tony and Golden Globe awards, along with six Academy Award nominations. A humanitarian with a broad range of interests, Ms. Close has used her voice to gain support for cancer research, ocean protection, world peace, urban poverty, food security and mental health. She is the co-founder of BringChange2Mind, an organization dedicated to eradicating the stigma and discrimination faced by those who struggle with mental illness. Her work has allowed her to unite organizations and top researchers, creating a coalition that has opened doors to service and public education, as well as to improved support and treatment for mental illness.

Glenn Close will receive her honorary degree (LLD) on Thursday, June 13 at 2:30 pm in Grant Hall.

Dr. Raymond Bradley

Raymond Bradley is a distinguished scientist, professor and director of the Climate System Research Centre at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Geophysical Union, Dr. Bradley has made outstanding contributions to the studies of climate variability and environmental evolution, and has penned some of the most influential papers on climate change, along with 12 books on paleoclimatology. A celebrated global warming whistleblower known for championing integrity in science, Dr. Bradley also volunteers on a number of national and international scientific committees and organizations.

Raymond Bradley will receive his honorary degree (DSc) on Wednesday, June 12 at 2:30 pm in Grant Hall.

Dr. Sally Thorne

A professor of nursing and associate dean of faculty affairs at the University of British Columbia, Sally Thorne has also served as a visiting scholar and advisor at 14 nursing schools and universities around the world, including Queen’s. A fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, Dr. Thorne has published on subjects including chronic illness and cancer experience, healthcare delivery, qualitative methods, and philosophical inquiry about nursing. Widely respected as a nursing educator, Dr. Thorne helped design and launch one of Canada’s first nursing doctoral programs, now considered the standard nationally, and was named one of the country’s most powerful women by the Women’s Executive Network.

Sally Thorne will receive her honorary degree (DSc) on Friday, June 7 at 2:30 pm in Grant Hall.

Dr. Peter Nicholson

Peter Nicholson is a distinguished public servant and renowned problem-solver whose breadth of knowledge and experience have made him a force for change in major Canadian policy discussions. As a senior policy advisor, Dr. Nicholson’s advice has been sought by the highest levels of government and by businesses alike. He served as deputy chief of staff for policy in Prime Minister Paul Martin’s office, as special advisor to the secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and as the Clifford Clark Visiting Economist in the federal government’s department of finance. A Member of the Order of Canada, Dr. Nicholson has also held a variety of senior executive positions in the banking and telecommunications industries.

Peter Nicholson will receive his honorary degree (LLD) on Thursday, June 13 at 10 am in Grant Hall.

Chief Justice Warren Winkler

Chief Justice Warren K. Winkler serves as chief justice of Ontario and as president of the Court of Appeal of Ontario. A distinguished Canadian labour lawyer and mediator, Chief Justice Winkler spent 14 years as a trial judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, and was a founding partner at Winkler, Filion and Wakeley, a highly respected Toronto law firm. A judicial innovator, Chief Justice Winkler has strived to improve the rehabilitative process of class-action suits, and has heard proceedings on significant national issues, such as Aboriginal residential schools, hepatitis C, and mad cow disease. He has mediated many high-profile disputes, from Air Canada’s restructuring, to the tainted water scandal in Walkerton, Ont. He is a valued contributor to the activities of the Queen’s School of Policy Studies, and is the honorary chair of the Faculty of Law’s Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace.

Chartered accountant Wilfrid Wilkinson is the founding partner of Wilkinson & Company, one of Ontario’s most successful public accounting firms. He is also a Fellow of the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants and past president of the Public Accountants Council of Ontario. A lifelong volunteer, Mr. Wilkinson currently serves as chairman of the Rotary Foundation. He has also served in a number of other leadership roles within the humanitarian organization, including as president of Rotary International. In his role as a fundraiser with the organization, Mr. Wilkinson led the PolioPlus campaign, raising more than a billion dollars in a successful 25-year effort to eradicate polio worldwide. A Member of the Order of Canada, Dr. Wilkinson is also the receipient of a Papal medal along with other distinctions.

Wilfrid Wilkinson will receive his honorary degree (LLD) on Monday, June 10 at 2:30 pm in Grant Hall.

In the cases where an honorary degree is not being awarded, the convocation ceremony will receive an address from a guest speaker. The scheduled speakers are: